Lawn sprinkler



y 1930- I w.' H. COLES 1,759,439

' LAWN SPRINKLER Filed Dec. 51; 1924 Arm/Mfrs.

Patented May 20, 1930 PATEhI,

FE E

WALTER H. COLES, 'OF TROY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SKINNER IRRIGATION COM- PANY, OF TROY, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO LAWN SPRINKLER Application filed December 31, 1924. Serial No. 759,185.

My invention relates generally to the type of lawn sprinklers wherein revolvinglateral spraying nozzles are caused to rotate by the force of the water against the air into which it is ejected and wherein the movement of the spraying nozzles is in a direction, contrary to that in which the'spray of water is ejected. Particularly my invention relates to a novel sprinkler in which separate self-actuated spraying means areso connected by intermediate mechanism that a direct and positive inter-relation is established.

My invention has as its object improvement in the practical uses of such spraying devices so that the speed of revolution of the primary sprinkling means may be held within limits which will aiiord the greatest eiiectiveness of the distribution of'water from the nozzles.

In the existing type of sprinkling device in which the rotation of smaller lateral nozzles motivates and determinesthe rate of a larger revolving nozzle delivering the bulk of water sprayed therefrom, not only doesthe'speed of rotation depend upon the water pressure but the motive power for rotation has been derived from'the smaller rotating arm, as the larger nozzles have been placed in a central axial position. In the present construction the novelty as'compared to the type of sprinkler described lies in placing the large nozzles on the ends of two freely revolving arms removed fromthe central axial position, utilizing as motive power either one or more large nozzles and by means of moving this nozzle to the end of a radial arm, deriving the power from the ejection of water from this large nozzleto serve as an adequate motive power for the rotation of the sprinkler. In my invention two large nozzles are used mounted on the ends of two arms.

This is in addition to two small rotating nozarms and utilizing the ejection force of the water on all four of the nozzles, a maximum amount of motlve POWGIIS obtained. fl Insprmklers previously constructed which as compared with the type of sprinkler just described, in utilizing as motive power the e ective power in the large main distributing nozzle and in a speed controlled by means of a governing device, so that these large main rotating nozzles travel at a slow speed and give the full throw and distributing quality of the nozzle, avoiding the reduction in distance which would be caused by a more rapid revolution.

Contrasting my invention with a sprinkler using a central large nozzle motivated by small rotating sprinkling arms, this device adds the motive power developed by the large spraying nozzle making the sprinklermuch more-effective.

Contrasting my construction with sprinklers on which two main nozzles are mounted on radial arms, this sprinkler provides a governor'which reduces the rotating speed to a point where the most eiiective watering qualities are obtained. 7

My invention provides a maximum of mo- ,tive power, utilizing the ejection force of all the Water distributed and it also provides a governlng device which maintalns the speed of rotation within effective limits. The free action of the large arms and the utility of the small arms as'a governor, the smallarms serving as motive powerjt'or the large arms only when some abnormal condition prevents their free rotation, is distinctive feature of my invention, In the particular construction described the governing mechanism selected is the pair of small distributing arms geared-at a higher speed of rotationto the arms which carry the large distributing nozzles. The use of the small rotating arm as a governor has, however, some advantages as a governing mechanism which would not exist in a mere escapement.

' the tendencyis to resist any power which I would tend to increase the speed beyond its The principle of operation of this governor is that the small rotating arms under a given 7 pressure, operate normally at a fixed speed. Up to this speed the tendency of the rota-t ing arm is to overcome any resistance which would retard the speed. Beyond this point normal operative rate. By gearing together the two sets of arms in suitable ratio, each of which has a normal operating speed, the gear mechanism can be so'arranged that an equilibrium will be established whereby the small arms will exceed their normalspee-d and the arm carrying the large nozzles will be considerably reduced in speed until it reaches the effective operating speed; An equilibrium is thereby established.

armsican be made to serve solely as a. governing device, and the speed of the small arms willnot be affected by themotive' power of the large arms.

The tendency of operation, therefore, is as follows :.With both sets of nozzles spraying andwith the properly calculated gear con nection, the large nozzles will rotate very slowly and the smaller arms acting as a governor will operate more rapidly than normally, an equilibrium being thereby establi'shed with slow moving'large nozzles and all nozzles as motive power. I r

the speed of the large nozzle, this tendency is counteracted by the excessive amount of powerrequiredto revolve the small nozzles at' a considerably increased rate, and the smaller rotatingarms act as an effective governor controlling the speed w thin satisfactory limits. so far as the large nozzles are concerned. V

V The use ofthe" rotating sprinkling arm ace 1 complishes the same purpose as the governor. It also adds the benefit of a slight -additional motive power in emergencies. It affords additional sprinklin'gfacilities. It actuates a chain of gears from each end ofthe chain. In the drawing: g "j Figure 1 represents atop perspective view ofmydevicep l r 9 Figure 2 is a vertical cross section along the lines 22 of Figure-1,

Referring ,to the dralwings in detail, the

base 1 has a suitable water passage 2 cast into 'its structure which 1s provided with a swivel hose connection 3 and extends upward from the base in a threaded nipple 4:. A sleeve 5 is attached to the exteriorly threaded nipple 4 by means of interior threads 6. .The sleeve the bushing 9 disposed within it.

Byincreasingthe ratio in the gear train, the small 5 has on its upper end an'inwardly extending shoulder 7 which retains the shoulder 8 .of

This bushing 9fextends upwardly through the outer sleeve and has threads 10 at its top onto which a hollow castingll is screwed. Thehollow casting 11 has threaded openings 12 laterally disposed therein which admit the pipes 13.

On the ends of these pipes the spraying,

nozzles 14 are attached which are preferably of needle'valve type'with opening 15 in which the discharging aperture is controlled by a needle actuated by the exterior controlling V valvehandle 16. These spraying nozzles are pointed in such direction that the ejection of 'water therefrom will impart. a counter motionto'the pipes to which they are attached and a consequent rotation ofthecasting 11 around the axial support, the upper portion I '17 of the bushing 9 rotating within'the slioul der ofthe outer sleeve 5, and within the collar 18 of the. large fixed gear wheel 219,which has radial spokes 20 which are 'attached -to the non-rotating sleeveb'by'screws'2l. On the hollow casting axially aligned. with the lower 1 rotating bushing 9. a collar 21? threaded into the casting forms an upward thrust "bearing for the flange 22 of the top spraying arm carrying piece 23, into which are'threaded on opposite sides pipes24 which are preferably bent on a horizontal planeinwardly at 4 5 their exterior ends in a direction'opposit'e to that in which the ejectionforce of.the'water in the nozzles 25 attached'to'their ends causes their rotation. The construction of the two sets of spraying nozzles is therefore" such that'if it were not'fo r the gearing controlling their movement, each would rotate'independs .ently of the other;

The gearing which causes each set of nozzles to actas a driving'impetus to the other up to a certain'speedof rotationand then as a brake is disposed as follows: A pinion 26 is attached to a shaft 27 which. has its bearingvertically through the casting 11 and it mesheswiththe large fixed gear wheel 19 below the casting 11. Onthe upper end of the shaft 27 above the casting I "11,;a' gearwhe'el 28 is'disposed which meshes 'with a pinion 29 which also has vertical bearing on the casting- 11, being attached to the shaft 30. Tothe-upper end'of the I shaft 30 a gearwheel31 is attached-which meshes with a pinion 32 which is disposedin fixed position as acollar about the sleeve-like lower portion of the top spray arm carrying piece 23. V In this manner I practically demonstrate a suitablemechanism for con trolling a rotating arm, on which major spray nozzles are attached, bymeans of a secondary rotating sprinkling arm operated at a higher speedthrough a chain of gears.

I also practically demonstrate theuse forsuch a controlling devicerof secondary governing device, which in this instance is a spray nozzles connected by intermediate gearing device to the arms carrying the major spray nozzles, in such a manner that each acts as an impulse or as a brake for the other, as previously described, thereby securing a maximum rotating movement, at a given volume emission and an automatic selfgoverning control. I

I do not wish to be limited to the particularsize construction or gearing disposition particularly described herewith as many changes of size and disposition of parts will.

readily occur to those skilled in this manufacture.

Having thus described my invention and further described a particular construction by which I accomplish my object, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In a lawn sprinkler, a water passage member, a supportin member rigidly supported thereby, a sleeve axially aligned with axis of said supporting member and rotatable within same, a rotatable supporting member attached to the upper end of saidsleeve. arms with sprinkler heads attached to said rotatable supporting member, a sleeve mounted in said rotatable supporting member, an up er supporting member attached to upper ent of said sleeve, arms with spraying nozzles attached to said upper member and means for causing a counterbalancing motive reaction from the ejection force of the water from the sprinklers between said upper and lower rotating arms.

2. In a lawn sprinkler, two sets of rotatable spray arms mounted independently, one of said sets having large volume nozzles, and the other having secondary nozzles, each of said sets motivated by the ejection of water from its respective nozzles, and intermediate mechanism providing a governing means whereby each set shall act to govern the other in ratio dependent on the operating speed thereof.

3. In a lawn sprinkler, sets of rotatable arms having nozzles disposed in radially balanced position with'reference to a central hub, each set of armsbeing constructed to be rotated by the ejection of water from its respective nozzles and governing means for said sets of nozzles to cause said several sets to rotate at diiierent speeds, comprising intermediate mechanism which affects the operating speed of each set of arms in accordance with the operating speed of the other.

4. In a lawn sprinkler, sets of spraying arms having aligned axes, one of said sets having volume controlling means adjustable for controlling the volume of water sprayed there-from, and another set of spraying arms having secondary spraying means, with controlling means intermediate said sets of arms adapted to control the operating speed of said first set of arms in a ratio directly proportionate to the speed of said other set.

'5. In a lawn sprinkler, a set of sprayers disposed on radiating arms, said set motivated by the ejection of said sprayers, a second set of sprayers on a second set oi'radiating arms, said second set of sprayers providing the motivating power for said second set of arms, each of said sets mounted on separately revolving hubs, a train of gears mounted in fixed relation to said second set of arms, said train of gearsbeing connected with said first mentioned arms, and said gear train having teeth thereon arranged in such ratio that during intervals of connected relation the fixed gear will act as a governor controlling the normal free op erating speed of said first arms by the'second.

6. In a lawn sprinkler, a set of sprayers disposed on radiating arms, said set being constructed to be rotated by the ejection of water from said sprayers, another set of sprayers on other radiating arms also con structedv to be rotated by the ejection of water from said other set of sprayers, said sets independently mounted in axial alignment, and governing means for said sets of sprayers to cause said several sets to rotate at difiierentspeeds, comprising means fixedly connected with said. second set or" arms adapted to be interconnected with said first set'of arms, said means providing a speed. con.- trolling device operable directly proportionate to the operating speed of said second set of arms for controlling the speed of said first set.

7. In a sprinkler in combination with a support and means for supplying water thereto, a variable speed controlling assembly comprising nozzles independently and rotatably mounted on said support, said nozzles being each constructed to be rotated by the ejection of water therefrom, said.

nozzles having water outlets of different areas, and means mechanically connecting said rotatable nozzles comprising a reduction train of gears'from thesmaller nozzle to the larger nozzle. p

8. In'a lawn sprinkler, a water passage member, a supporting-member rigidly supported'thereby, a rotating member, means for supporting in said supporting member an axial support for said rotating member, an upper rotating member, means for supporting in said lower rotatingmember an axial support for said upper rotating member, each of said rotating members being constructed to be rotated by the repulsive forceof the water ejected therefrom and means for controlling the rotation of each rotatingmember by the other up to a certain speed, and said means adapted to act as a brake at speeds greater than said certain speed.

9. A sprinkler of the character described force of the Water ejected therefrom; is concom-prisinga'plurality'of spray nozzles each I rotated vduring operation of the'spri-nkler by the ejection of water therefrom, and governing means for said spray nozzles to cause said several. nozzles'to rotate at different speeds, comprising means interconnecting the saidnozzles to control the speed of rotation thereof one with respectto the other;

10. A sprinkler of the character described comprising a plurality of spray nozzles mounted forseparate rotation, each adapted to be rotatedduring operation of the sprinkler by the repulsive force of the Water ejected therefrom, and means interconnecting the said-vnozzlescomprising gears arranged to reduce the natural rate of rotation of one nozzle by controlling said rate of rotation through said gears by the rateof rotation of said other nozzle.

-- 11. A sprinkler of the character described comprising a plurality of spray nozzles, each constructed and mounted to rotate freely during operation-under the repulsive driving iforceof the ejected WatereXcept for a a controlling efi'ect exerted by the other nozzle,

and governing means for said nozzles to cau'sesaid'several nozzles to rotateat difl'er- 'ent speeds, comprising means interconnect; ing said nozzles constructed to conjointly utilize the driving-forces exerted at theseveral said-nozzles. r r r 12. A sprinkler of the character described comprising a plurality of spray nozzles, each constructed and mounted to rotate freely during operation under the repulsive driving force of the ejected Water except for a corrtrolling effect exerted bythe other nozzle, 7

and governing means for said nozzles tocause said several nozzles to rotate: at different speeds, comprising means interconnecting said nozzlesso that the speed of rotation thereof is controlled-onewith respect to the other.

13. In a lawn sprinkler two sets of rotatable spray arms mounted for separate rotation, one of said sets having large volumed nozzles, and the other having secondary nozzles, each of said sets being mounted for rotation theejec-ti'onof waterlfrom its respective nozzles and an intermediate mechanism providing a governing control whereby the speed of -rotation imparted to each of said sets ot nozzles by the. repulsive trolled in accordance with the speed of rotation imparted to the other set of nozzles 'by the repulsive effect of the Water ejected from i the other set of nozzles.

WALTERH. ooLEs. 

